It was ten o’clock at night, and Shen Yue still hadn't returned. Xu Wuyan wondered whether to send her a message to check in; if she was going to be home very late, he thought, it might be nice to go out and enjoy some nightlife while he had the time.
Before he could send the message, however, a foul stench drifted in.
The night breeze carried the rot of a septic tank through the open window. Frowning, Xu Wuyan leaned out over the balcony. Below the streetlamp, a yellow sewage suction truck was parked in front of the apartment building. Two workers in rubber jumpsuits pried open a manhole cover, and a black rubber hose writhed like a giant python.
Chapter 21